CHAPTER TWO
( ARRESTED IN OMASHU )

"HOW LONG ARE YOU staying with us?" The question came from Katara, startling Flo from her thoughts. Which, really, weren't necessarily thoughts in the first place. She had zoned out while watching the clouds pass by, Momo and Sleemo having the time of their lives flying in and out of them.

To put it simply, Flo wasn't used to traveling with someone else, excluding her hawk-cat, let alone three other people and their flying lemur and bison. She loved how she didn't have to walk or anything with Appa, and Sleemo obviously took very well with having another animal her size around, but still. Flo wasn't used to making plans with three other humans, one being the Avatar and two being bickering siblings. She was used to being by herself, hunting when hungry and resting when tired. She didn't have a schedule. They did. Or, a rough one that they didn't need to follow too closely. Apparently, they needed to get to the North Pole for some water bending training for both Aang and Katara, and then comes in the other elements the boy needed to learn as well.

All of that plus Flo's refusal of attachment, equalled a soon departure on her part. She could tell they were already getting used to her. Aang already voiced his opinion on her; he thought she should travel with them to the North Pole. Katara, at first, was wary because Flo was simply a stranger but the girl warmed up to her, making a lighthearted joke once how it was nice to have another girl in the group. Then Sokka thought they were friends simply because she gave him somewhat okay advice about Suki back on Kyoshi Island. Not to mention, all three of them were touchy and feely and loved human contact, meanwhile Flo wanted to avoid that at all possible costs.

"Um..." And there was another thing: Flo had talked way more than she wanted to. Aang was a chatter box who expected whoever he talked to to talk back, and Sokka too, and Katara, relieved about there being another girl, pulled Flo into conversations the older girl didn't want to be in. So, here Flo sat in the saddle, being brought into another conversation by Katara. "Not long at all."

Oh, and she learned all of this within a day. One day.

"What? Why?" Aang quickly asked from his spot on Appa's head.

Flo shrugged. She didn't want to talk. But then she remembered that Aang couldn't exactly see her, and sighed. "You guys have your own trip to take. I have..." Nothing. "...my own."

"But you'll be on your own," Aang protested.

"Sleemo," was all Flo said.

"Where are you going?" Katara asked.

"Somewhere."

"But–."

"Guys, Suki sent Flo with us to help her get off the island finally," Sokka spoke up in Flo's defense, interrupting Aang. "She'll probably leave at our next stop."

Katara frowned as Flo leaned more against the side of the saddle. Flo wrapped here dark green cloak tighter around herself, the chilly wind of flying nipping at her. It's a shame she didn't have warmer clothes. She then yanked the hood up to cover most of her face, and thankfully that was all it took for Katara to keep her mouth shut and turn the other way. Sleemo then got onto the saddle and went up to Katara, meowing once. The Water Tribe girl smiled down fondly at the hawk-cat before petting her, and then Momo came over, but quickly made a bee-line for Sokka.

"I'm sorry," Katara spoke again. Flo didn't move to show she heard her. "For pestering you, I mean. I just got excited, I guess."

Flo pushed the hood of the cloak off and looked at Katara. "I'm better off being alone," she explained. "I'm not fit for a group, haven't been for years."

Suddenly, Aang jumped into the saddle. "No one is better off alone," he objected, frowning for the first time in Flo's eyes.

She tensed up. "Well, I am, okay," she snapped. "I can take care of myself, I have since I was ten. I don't need you and you don't need me. There's no reason for me to stay."

But they're just kids, a voice echoed in her head; it was obviously trying to persuade her to stay. A group of three: an Avatar, a waterbender, and a boy warrior from his tribe. They could take care of themselves, she said back to that voice. Unfortunately it didn't go away. It hit her with the facts. Aang, despite being the Avatar, was twelve. Katara, even if she was a waterbender, couldn't actually bend water. Sokka, a young warrior from a tiny village, wasn't exactly the best fighter just yet. Flo pushed those thoughts away; she didn't want to think about that right now. She knew she would easily give in if she thought about it more. She didn't need them.

But what if they needed her?

She blinked, sighed, and then noticed that everyone was looking at her, even Momo. The three friends all had similar looks. Sympathy mixed with shock and sadness. Flo's brows rose. "What?" she asked.

Sokka shifted to where he sat up more. "You... You said you've been alone since you were ten," he said it as if she should be obvious of something.

Flo nodded. "Um. Yeah." She wasn't dumb. She knew why they looked the way they did at her now, but it's in the past. Of course it still hurt and she refused to get close to anyone because of it, but they didn't need to know that.

"You don't have family? Anyone?" Katara asked.

"Sleemo," Flo said once again, because she didn't want to outright say her entire family had died.

Aang's frown deepened, and for a moment Flo was scared that he was about to cry. "Can you at least think about it some more?" he asked, voice small and hopeful. "About joining us?"

Flo opened her mouth. 'No' sat on the tip of her tongue. She quickly shut her mouth though, and looked at the young boy carefully. He looked so sad. She felt bad, guilt eating her insides; he somehow reminded her of herself. Younger and somewhat hopeful someone in her family was still alive. With that thought, she nodded. It lifted Aang's spirits instantaneously.

A broad smile broke out onto his face. "Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up," was her answer.

Aang jumped back onto Appa's head. "Too late!"

The two siblings shared a knowing look, one Flo caught. "What?" she asked defensively.

Katara just giggled and Sokka sighed dramatically, waving a hand in the air. "Oh, nothing," he said, smirking at Flo as if he knew something she didn't.

Flo just rolled her eyes.

+++

"The Earth Kingdom of Omashu!"

The archer didn't listen. Aang went on to say something about an old friend, Bumi, and some fun they once didC but she was too busy checking out the area. As they got to the top of a small hill, she looked around some more. The area didn't seem like a bad place; some good trees, a few patches of snow still, and nice bushes. She thought it was a good area to part from them.

"So, have you thought about it?" Aang appeared in her line of vision so abruptly it made her jump in surprise, a look of bewilderment overcoming her features when she noticed that he had Appa's fur on his head and upper lip now. He was smiling again, broad and all teeth, and she took a hesitant step back as she looked down at him, the boy so much in her personal space it made her uneasy.

Flo looked over to where Sokka sat in a large rock while Katara stood beside him and hoped for some help, but the brother and sister quickly acted as if they hadn't been watching and listening. "Uh, Aang–," she started, but he cut her off.

"Look, we'll be in and out of Omashu in no time! It'll be fun," Aang said. "There's this mailing system–."

Flo sighed. "Aang–."

"–and you just have to see it!" He wrapped his arms around one of her own and started to pull her towards the walkway that led to the city. "C'mon!"

Her eyes widened and she dug her heels into the dirt. She placed her free hand on top of his head, which was covered in Appa's fur, and pushed the twelve year old off of her. She kept her hand on his head and with an outstretched arm held him away from her as he pouted. "I'm not coming with you guys," she told him. "I have my own ways to go, and I have to find some food before it gets dark."

"There's food in the city," he told her, still pouting at being pushed away.

"I don't have money."

"We do!" Katara said, smiling, and Flo glanced over her shoulder at the younger girl and gave her a look that said Not helping. Katara shrugged innocently.

Flo looked back at Aang as she finally lowered her arm. She sighed, defeated, because she could tell no matter how hard she fought against him, Aang wouldn't give up this particular fight. She motioned vaguely with her hands for him to lead the way, and he grinned. Surely there was no harm in being with civilization again, right?

Wrong.

After getting through the rock wall with the help of Aang's somewhat good disguise as an old man, the Avatar quickly brought the teens to the mailing system he had mentioned. Flo really didn't see the point at first. Besides, she was hardly listening to his story as they walked through the city, nerves jumpy and uneasy because she hadn't stepped foot in a city in years, or at all actually. Kyoshi Island was one thing – it was small – but the city of Omashu was an entire other thing – it was big with lots of people; Flo didn't do well with lots of people. She missed her cloak, it was a security thing, but Aang persuaded her to leave it with Appa so they could blend in with the crowd better; Sleemo had to stay behind too, though Momo snuck in with them in Aang's fake head of hair.

And then she noticed they were getting in one of the packages, and she shared a concerned look with Katara as she sat between the brother and sister, Aang at the front of everyone.

"I really hope the ends of your arrows don't stab me in my eyes," Solka said from behind her.

"You'll live," was all Flo replied with, causing him to make an indignant squawk.

"Wha–?!"

"One ride, then we get some food and we're off to the North Pole," Aang said. "Airbender's honor."

"This sounded like fun at first, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to have second thou– AH!" Katara's words got cut off as Aang pushed the package forward with his airbending, starting their ride down the mailing system at a fast pace, all of them screaming. Well Katara and Sokka were screaming but Aang shouted in pure excitement, and Flo didn't react at first, too stunned from the sudden movement to do so.

Flo, surprisingly, actually enjoyed it. The adrenaline rush felt good, and the wind in her face and the fact that it was most likely messing up her hair didn't bother her. But then the chute started to merge with another one, a rack of spears coming in right behind them. The fun feeling went away instantly. Aang rocked them out of the chute to avoid the spears, and Flo was pretty sure they ended outside the wall at some point. After that, Aang used his bending to make it go even faster once they got on another chute, much to everyone else's dismay. They definitely destroyed a roof or four, went through two houses, and destroyed some pottery a man was working on.

They eventually stopped – and not exactly by choice. They crashed with a cart of cabbages, sending the leafy food everywhere and the four of them went to the ground harshly, the carts destroyed. Flo pushed herself up to sit, and she tried to remain calm as Earth Kingdom soldiers surrounded them.

Aang sheepishly looked up at the men. "Two cabbages, please?"

+++

The soldiers of Omashu took the four kids directly to the king, who, for lack of better words, was downright weird. Flo's slight anger towards Aang left a little bit at first seeing the old man. One eye was larger than the other, and she couldn't exactly tell from the distance but she was pretty sure they were two different colors. He wore a headdress with two large feathers, mostly green clothes, and he had a hunched back and looked almost frail. As the King looked at the four of them, the guards who stood behind them made them kneel. The King hummed.

"Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses and malicious destruction of cabbages," the guard explained.

"Off with their heads!" the cabbage merchant shouted. "One for each head of cabbage!"

Flo looked away from the angry man. She caught Katara's eyes over Aang's head and the two girls shared worried looks before facing forward again.

"Silence! Only the King can pass down judgement. What is your judgment, Sire?"

The King didn't say anything for a moment. The old man looked at each one of them, taking his time. Sokka was clearly nervous, while Katara looked hopeful. Aang turned his head and whistled, but Flo kept her expression neutral, even as Momo hid behind her arm. She desperately wished for Sleemo for at least some sense of normalcy.

"Throw them," he started, voice almost ear grating, "a feast!"

A couple guards let out surprised noises and the cabbage merchant brought his hands to his face. Flo's neutral expression fell; she was just as shocked as everyone else. The guards let them all stand up, and after some time of waiting around they were led to where the feast would be held. The table was large and long with different shades of green, and it looked like it could hold tons of people but only five chairs were put out. On one end, there was one big chair that Flo had no doubt was the King's; on the other end, four much smaller chairs were put out. But Flo barely paid attention to that detail. Her eyes were more focused on the food displayed at the table. There was some sort of pig in the middle, and then there were a couple of fish and another cooked animal Flo couldn't make out, and there was rice and bread. Bread! Her mouth watered some and her lips parted from pure shock. She'd never seen this much food in her entire life, not even before she left her home; her family hadn't exactly been well off.

Flo couldn't move. She was shocked and awed and half afraid that if she did move, then the food would magically disappear. This had to be some sort of trick. Right? Or, maybe, she was imagining things. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and blinked a few more times. The food still sat on the table, waiting to be eaten.

"You look like you just found gold," the King's old voice brought her out of her thoughts as he walked in, his words no doubt aimed at her. Sokka, Katara, and Aang all turned their heads to look at her but Flo didn't even react. The King hummed to himself, eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment while he looked at her. She knew he was looking at her, probably scrutinizing her. But, no matter what, Flo couldn't tear her eyes away nor could she bring herself to care how openly awed she seemed.

As Katara and Sokka sat down finally, Aang moved from the seat he was about to sit in and over to where Flo still stood. He gently grabbed her elbow and guided her to the empty seat between him and Sokka. "I told you we'd get food," he said to her, a cheeky grin on his face.

The King laughed. "The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin."

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat," Aang said.

The King turned to Sokka. "How about you? I bet you like meat." He then shoved the drumstick into the boy's mouth and looked at Flo. "And you! Take one too. I saw you eyeing the bread, take as many loaves as you want." He tossed another drumstick at her and she caught it with ease.

Flo looked at the King in pure surprise and hope. "Seriously?"

"It's a feast! Of course I'm serious!"

Flo didn't question him after that, and ate the chicken as Katara said something to Aang. She then grabbed two smaller loaves and bread, and then another because Sokka stole from her plate. She glared at him from the corner of her eye, but he simply smiled innocently. All the while, the King moved to sit down in his own chair across from them.

"So, tell me young bald one," the old man started. "Where are you from?"

Aang tensed up; they all did. Flo slowed her eating and eyed the King. What if he ordered the guards to attack them like Oyaji did back on Kyoshi? "I'm from... Kangaroo Island."

"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hoppin'!"

Silence blanketed them. But then Sokka loudly laughed, and the three to his left looked at him as if he were crazy. "What? It was pretty funny," he defended himself once he calmed down.

The King yawned suddenly. "Well, all these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay." Just as he finished, he threw yet another drumstick – this time at Aang, who caught by airbending, suspending the drumstick in the air, making the guards draw in breaths of air from surprise. "There's an airbender in our midst and not just any airbender – the Avatar!"

Aang finally stopped airbending and let the drumstick fall to the plate with a clatter. He tried to act as if he hadn't done anything.

"Now what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pipinpadaloxicopolis?" asked the King.

Aang stood and spread out his arms. "Okay! You caught me. I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out," he looked under the table, "no firebenders here. So, good work everybody." He put his arms over the girls and stretched a bit to reach Sokka, careful of Flo's arrows she surprisingly had been allowed to keep. They all stood, maneuvered around the chairs, and they started to walk backwards in sync. "Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with spears. We'll see you next time!"

When they got to the door, the group tried to leave. Unfortunately for them, the guards blocked their way. Katara looked at Omashu's King, angry. "You can't keep us here. Let us leave!"

"Lettuce leaf?" The King picked up a leaf and took a bite.

Sokka leaned in close to the others. "We're in serious trouble," he whispered. "This guy is nuts."

The King got serious, then. "Tomorrow the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber." At that, Flo tensed up; she should've snuck in Sleemo.

The guard beside the King hesitated. "My liege, do you mean to good chamber, or the bad chamber?"

"The newly refurbished chamber."

"Wait, which one are we talking about?"

"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until the recent refurbishing that is. Of course, we've been calling it the new chamber, but we really should number them. Uh, take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!"

+++

The prison cell was...nice. Actually nice. Flo honestly expected a dimly lit, tiny room that the four of them and Momo would have to share with no beds. Instead, it was spacious and the ceiling was high. There were beds – only three, but still – and the room was brightly lit. She would enjoy the beauty of it, if she weren't so annoyed and pissed off and anxious. Annoyed, because they got arrested and now Aang had to do three deadly challenges; pissed off, because she went along with the trio into the city when she hadn't wanted to in the first place; anxious, because for the past year and a half, there hadn't been one night where she slept without Sleemo literally on her and the hawk-cat helped with her inner panic and bad dreams immensely. Her joy of having fresh food that she didn't have to hunt or fix for herself got squashed into smithereens.

The trio talked amongst themselves. At one point, Aang tried to shove Momo into one of the air vents to have him get Appa and Sleemo, but failed. Flo walked over to one of the walls and sat against it, away from everyone else. She hoped none of them would walk over. Unfortunately for her, Aang did just that. He started off with a smile, one that held unsaid apologies, but at noticing her angry expression it fell away completely.

"Flo–." He cut himself off as her brows knitted even closer together. His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"You get yourself into too much trouble," Flo stated, sounding way less angry than anyone thought she might be, including herself. "I've know you for, what, a day or so? That's saying something."

Aang frowned and lowered himself to sit across from her. "I really am sorry," he said.

Flo stared at him, gaze stern. But then, it softened and she nodded. "I know," she muttered. Before he could say anything, she spoke again. "Now, go to bed." He needed the rest since he was going to do three challenges tomorrow.

"What about you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, concerned. All he got in reply was a shrug and silence. Knowing he won't get much else, Aang stood with the help of his bending and went to one of the beds. Katara and Sokka followed suit, thankfully knowing better than to ask Flo about sleeping arrangements. While they slept, Flo stayed awake, only lulling off for a short period of time when Momo nestled in her lap.